Rhiannon Ingle
Move over quiet quitters - there's a brand new kid on the block that's apparently severely hurting the workplace.
Companies around the world are fearing the long-term effects of the latest viral career trend known as 'loud laboring' - something that sees individuals falling into a classic stereotype some of us know all too well.
Effectively, a 'loud laborer' is a term used for an employee who spends more time banging on about their workloads than actually getting the job at hand done.
Sound familiar?
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Well you, my friend, may be working in close quarters with a loud labourer or you may even be one yourself.
Different to its predecessor, the 'quiet quitter', this latest career archetype is not actually a brand-new phenomenon but has rather finally been given a neat little moniker.
Joe Galvin, chief research officer with Vistage, told FOX Business: "In reality, 'loud laborers' are nothing new. Showboating for the boss' attention is a fairly typical office behavior."
But what is new is the fairly recent amendment to the workplace which now commonly offers a hybrid working model.
"These employees are evolving and adapting traditional tactics and techniques to the digital, work-from-home, flexible workplace," Galvin went on.
He also added that such people can be 'detrimental' to the workplace and a company in general due to a loss in productivity and a negative impact on employee morale.
"Engagement issues can spread like wildfire," Galvin explained, "as under-engaged or underperforming employees often put an unfair brunt of the workload on their colleagues, creating a continuum of burnout across the organization."
So what an earth do you do if you fear you've got a 'loud laborer' on your hands?
Well, first of all, communication is key.
Michelle Reisdorf, district president for Robert Half, noted: "The best advice when it comes to these trends is to keep communication open and set up one-on-one time with your teams.
"If you are hearing a teammate voice concerns about their workload, it’s important to flag that for a manager."
Managers also need to keep a close eye on such issues, she goes on, adding: "If you have a 'loud laborer', it might be easier to find out about the issue since they are being vocal about it as opposed to keeping it bottled up."
Galvin clearly echoes this advice, explaining: "By keeping a pulse on individual output, and proactively sharing kudos throughout the organization for those who have quantifiable results, leaders can quiet the noise and put a spotlight on those who are actually contributing in a meaningful way."